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GUELPH, ONT.—The irony was lost on no one when Brent Sutter, who coached Canada to another disappointing finish at the world junior hockey championships, went on a rant about how Canada wasn’t producing enough skilled players.

This was the same Sutter who benched Connor McDavid — The Next One himself — for most of the tournament and had him in a checking role when he did play.

Perhaps McDavid, who was 16 at the time and one of the youngest to ever play in a tournament meant for 18- and 19-year-olds, was a bit green and even overmatched physically on occasion.

But McDavid wasn’t overmatched when it came to skill. And if McDavid, the No. 1 centre for the Erie Otters, was available in this summer’s NHL draft, scouts say he would go No. 1 overall.

McDavid is not draft eligible until 2015, so as good as he is now, the 17-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., will only get better in the interim.

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“His understanding of the game is remarkable,” said Erie coach Kris Knoblauch, finishing his second season coaching the Otters and McDavid. “From the time I met him, his game has elevated. As a young player does, he gets stronger and more confident with the puck.

“Last year, I saw him try things and he would get pushed off the puck; he wasn’t able to finish a play he tried. This year, now that he’s stronger, he doesn’t get pushed off the puck. He holds it a little bit longer. That’s what makes him so dangerous.”

McDavid saw plenty of ice time this season with Maple Leafs prospect Connor Brown, who led the Canadian Hockey League in scoring, and Dane Fox. But others moved in and out of McDavid’s line.

“He’s adaptable to play with whoever,” says Knoblauch. “He certainly does make other players better because he can find them. He can draw players to him and then find the open guy.

“If you’re a goal-scorer, you’d love to play with him.”

And with Brown likely making the jump to the AHL’s Marlies, and Fox joining the Vancouver Canucks organization, McDavid will be tabbed to provide even more leadership.

McDavid and the Otters were eliminated from the OHL playoffs in Guelph on Friday night, losing to the Storm. Guelph will now play North Bay in the final for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.

It was McDavid’s first time experiencing the OHL playoffs. He was the best player for Erie on Friday, but the Storm won 5-0.

“The games are pretty crazy — they’re intense, fast,” said McDavid, who had 19 points in 13 post-season games. “It’s been difficult, trying to get used to it.

“(The world juniors) helped me prepare for this. The speed of that is crazier than this. It helps you get ready for this.”

McDavid was named the OHL’s rookie of the year in 2012-13; this season, he was named scholastic player of the year. Which means he’s smart — too smart to say anything controversial, especially on how he was used at the world juniors.

“You do whatever the coach wants,” said McDavid. “It’s all about the team. You do what the coach says. If the coach wants to play me, he plays me. If he wants me to sit on the bench, then whatever, that’s the way it goes.”

The comparisons to the game’s greats — notably Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky — have been following him since he joined the OHL at 15 under its exceptional player rule.

This season, he had 99 points in 56 games, a rate of 1.77 points per game. That’s under Crosby’s pace of 2.29 points per game at roughly the same age but right around Gretzky’s (1.75).

Knoblauch, however, says such comparisons are unfair to the young star.

“It’s unfair for him because he’s 17 years old . . . he absolutely loves playing hockey,” says Knoblauch. “He’s passionate about it. He wants to come to the rink and be Connor McDavid.

“He understands he is a good hockey player. Those comparisons are just naturally going to follow him. He just wants to play hockey. When you see him on the ice, whether it’s a game or a practice, he just enjoys being out there.”

McDavid is humble, clearly uncomfortable talking about his accomplishments or talking about his game. It takes some prodding for him to acknowledge how he has progressed.

“It’s just I’ve gotten bigger, maybe a little faster, if that comes with size. I still have a lot of proving to do if I want to play at the next level.”

His coach agrees. There are parts of his game McDavid needs to work on, namely shooting.

“Certainly he is reluctant to shoot the puck,” says Knoblauch. “It’s not because he doesn’t have a good shot, he has a good shot. But he’s not a selfish player. He wants his teammates to succeed and be successful; he’s often reluctant to shoot and wants to pass first.”

Despite being bounced from the playoffs Friday night, the Otters show promise of being a good team again next season. McDavid and some other core youngsters are returning and there is continued talk of them as legitimate Memorial Cup contenders.

“It would mean everything,” said McDavid. “That’s what you play junior hockey for.”

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